Electrical clamp connecter



March 24, 1931. B -D|BNER 1,797,904

ELECTRICAL CLAMP CONNECTER Filed June 17 1925 14/5 88 HAM BEQNA e tions of weather Patented Mar. 24, 1931 stares- OF I ABRAHAM BERNARD DIBNER, OF-BROOKLYN, NEW YOBK ELECTRICAL CLAMP vooivivnoauin Application filed June 17, Serial No. 37,754.

My invention relates to improvements in clamp connecters for electrical installatlons.

Outdoor types of installations involving high voltages usually employ copper tubular 5 buses and their shape is designed to provide maximum mechanical strength, high con ductivity, and the least provision for corona losses. These copper tubular buses are round in section and are ordinarily manufactured 1:) in standard lengths.

require buses exceeding these standard lengths and providing a continuous path for the currents. In practice the buses are connected together end to end, and where conditions care for a curve, elbows are used in-' diameter of the copper tubing. This condition is the result of the process of manufacture which cannot limit itself to any degree of accuracy. These variations in diameter make the connecter for connecting separate so pieces of tubing together of a nature which lends itself to adjustment. to provide for such adjustment varies in the several designs of connecters in the market. Some manufacturers produce connecters requiring a shrink fitting, others soldering, but

the most common form is that of bolting contacting parts together.

Copper tubing forming outdoor installation is sub'ect to the vibraand e ectro-mechanical shocks of an electrical installation. The vibrating strands tend to strain the members and to misaline the adjustments provided at the time of installation.

the buses of the With the foregoing in mind, it is the purpose of the present invention to provide a clamp connecter of this character which is designed to overcome the difliculties usually encountered in outdoor electrical installations 50 and I accomplish this purpose by means of The means used Modern installations the device illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is an elevational View of my improved straight line' connecter and Figure 2 is an end view of the same. Figure .3 is an elevational view of a curved connecter and Figure 4' is an end view of the samef Beferring'to the drawings, and particu larly to Figures 1 and 2, 10designates a single body portion havin a through bore 11. The body '10 is split throughout its entire length and at opposite ends the cut 12 extends longitudinally of the body, then at their inner ends the cut projects transversely to a point at right angles-to the end cuts and thereafter extends longitudinally to complete the separation of the material on one side of the connecter.

On each'side of the end cuts, the body is provided with projecting ears 18 which receive bolts'l l' disposed tangentially to the body 10 and which are-relatively adjustable with respect to each other by means of nuts '15 arranged over the ends of the bolts. Adjacent the oppositeends of the central-portion of the cut 12,-the body is provided with two sets of cars 16 similarto the ears 13 except that they'are disposed'atsubstantially right angles to the latter earswTh-e cars 16 are also provided with bolts '17 and adjustable nuts 18, which, if adjusted with the nuts 15 will make the clamping action of the connecter effective at every point about the periphery of the tube bus. v

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 3 and 4' is identical with that shown in the preceding figures, except that the central portion is curved to conduct current at an angle.

It will be clear that the general nature of a connecter of this character is that of a tubing to fit equally over each of the bus ends to be connected. The cross section of this tube'is equal in electrical conductivity to that of the buses, and equal in mechanical strength to that of the buses. The bore 11 is inachine finished and of adiameter equal to the outside diameter of the tubular buses. The nuts 15 and 18 are tightened andthe grip "of the connecter about the bus. is 'efl'ected to name; this specification this 29th: day of engage the contacting surfaces so as to provide an efficient path for the travel of the electrical currents from bus through connecter to bus. The connecter is constructed to grip each bus with the clamping force of the two bolts 14.- and 17, which are spaced at an angle about the periphery of the connecter. This provides a. clampin force at a multiple number of points about the contacting surfaces and so insures contact.

The connecte'r is installed by sliding the latter equally over each end ofthe buses to be connected until these buses abut each other at the center of the connecter. The nuts are then tightened and the' installation is complete.

The advantages of the improved connecter are: first, the body 10 comprises a single element without having attachable parts; sec- I ond, the placing of the bolts at an angle to each other minimizes differences in diameters of the inner surface of the connecter and outer surface of the tubing by the gripping force being disposed at angles to each other. Therefore, deformations in the tubing due to the process of manufacture and handling are of slight importance-by the eflicientclampi'ng and contacting features; and third, the mechanical stresses to which buses are subjected will usually be in a fixed plane depending upon the method of support; therefore, the disruptive forces in their tendency to loosen the gripping bolts might be successful upon one set thereof, but the other set being at right angles to the plane of movement will succeed in-retaining their grip and keeping the surfaces in contact.

What I claim is:

1. A clamp connecter comprising a tubular body, split from end to end, the cut forming the split having portions extending longitudinally inward from each end of the tubu- Iarbody, and portions extending transversely around the tubular body from the inner ends of the longitudinal end portions toa central portion of the out which connects the two remaining ends of the transverse portions, projections disposed on opposite sides of thecut at each of the end portions thereof, and at the central portion and means connecting the projections in pairs to contract the body.

2. A clamp eomiecter', as claimed in claim 1, in which said tubular body comprises a straight member and the said projeetions at each end are disposed at right anglesto each other.

A clamp conn'ecter, as claimed claim 1 in which said tubular body comprises a curved member and the said projections at each end are disposed at right angles to each In 'tesemay whereof, I- have signed my I ABRAHAM BERNARD DIBNER. 

